Vending machine



Feb. 9, 1943..

. E- H. SARGENT ET VENDING MACHINE Filed July 14, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb, 9, 1943. E. H. 'SARG-ENT EI'AL VENDING MACHINE 2 sheets sheet 2 Filed July 14, 1941 Patented Feb. 9, 1943 UITED STAT? 1 PATENT OFFICE VENDING MACHINE Edgar H. Sargent and Anastasius G. Alex, Evanston, 111.

4 Claims.

The present invention relates generally to vending machines. More particularly the invention relates to that type of machine which is expressly designed to vend or dispense irregularly shaped comestibles, such for example, as peanuts, and as its main or principal parts comprises a door-equipped housing, a hopper in the housing for the comestibles to be vended or dispensed, a discharge chute beneath the hopper and with the lower end thereof leading to, and in communication with, the housing exterior, and coin controlled mechanism for delivering measured batches of comestibles from the hopper to the chute, including a pocket-equipped horizontally extending drum which is mounted between the open lower end of the hopper and the upper end i of the discharge chute to rotate or rock about a horizontal axis and is adapted to be rocked back and forth between a charging position wherein the pocket therein faces upwards and receives the comestibles from the hopper and a discharging position wherein the pocket faces downwards and the comestibles fall from the pocket and pass to the housing exterior via the discharge chute.

In practice it has been found that a conventional or standard vending machine of this type is objectionable, especially when used to vend or dispense large sized comestibles, because there is a marked tendency for the comestibles in connection with rocking or turningof the pocketequipped drum into its discharging position, to jam between the trailing outer edge of the pocket and the lower end of the hopper. When any of the comestibles jam between such edge of the pocket and the lower end of the hopper in connection with turning of the drum into its discharging position the drum may be turned only with difiiculty and shears the jammed comestibles. When there are sheared comestibles in any measured batch which is discharged via the discharge chute in connection with actuation of the machine the batch is not appetizing and the person receiving the batch is not likely again to use the machine.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a vending machine of the type under consideration which is an improvement upon, and eliminates the objectionable feature of, conventional or standard vending machines of the character under consideration by reason of the fact that it includes simple and novel means whereby jamming and shearing of the comestibles between the trailing edge of the pocket and the lower end of the hopper in connection with turning or rocking of the drum end of the hopper and the upper end of the discharge chute and so that the pocket in the drum passes thereby in connection with rocking of the drum, and are adapted when the drum is initially rocked or turned toward its discharging position to be engaged by the various comestibles that are in the pocket and have portions projecting above the trailing edge of the pocket and to swing out wards away from the drum into a position wherein they accommodate or receive the projecting comestibles and permit the drum to be freely rotated into its discharging position, and are further adapted during return of the drum to its charging position to cause the various accumulated comestibles, i. e., any comestibles that are lodged thereagainst, to move into the pocket of the drum as the pocket moves or turns past the fingers. 7

Another object of the invention is to provide a vending machine of the last mentioned type and character in which the fingers constituting the means for preventing jamming and shearing of the comestibles have the lower ends thereof pivotally mounted so that they are free to swing toward and away from the drum, and have springs applied thereto for urging them toward the drum.

A further object of the invention is to provide a vending machine which is generally of new and improved construction and in which efficiency of operation is combined with durability and compactness.

Other objects of the invention and the various advantages and characteristics of the present vending machine will be apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description.

The invention consists in the several novel features which are hereinafter set forth and are more particularly defined by claims at the conclusion hereof.

In the drawings which accompany and form a part of this specification or disclosure and in which like numerals of reference denote corresponding parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 .is a fragmentary front perspective view of a vending machine embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a front view of that part of the machine which is in the form of a unit and consists of the hopper, the discharge chute, the pocket equipped drum and the comestible accom modating fingers together with the supporting frame therefor, parts being broken away and other parts being shown in section for purposes of illustration;

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical section taken on the line 33 of Figure 2 and showing the pocket-equipped drum in discharging position;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical section illustrating the pocket equipped drum after it has been initially turned or rocked into its discharging position and showing the manner in which the spring retracted laterally swinging fingers serve.

to accommodate and prevent shearing of any and all comestibles along the trailing outer edge of the pocket;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary vertical section showing the pocket equipped drum in its discharging position and Figure 6 is a fragmentary vertical section showing the drum after it has been partially returned to its discharging position, illustrating the manner in which the fingers operate to project or move inwards into the pocket any and all comestibles which become lodged between them and the side wall of the drum during rocking or turning of the drum into its discharging position.

The vending machine which is. shown in the drawings constitutes the preferred form or embodiment of the invention. It is primarily designed as a medium for vending and dispensing irregularly shaped comestibles such as peanuts and includes as partsthereof'a housing 7, a frame 8, a hopper 9 for the comestibles to be vended or dispensed, a discharge chute I0, and a coin controlled mechanism I I for delivering measured batches of thecomestibles from the hopper to the discharge chute.

The housing 1 is of box-like design or construction and comprises a bottom wall, a top wall, a pair of side walls, and a back walland in addition a door I2 at the front thereof. The door, as shown in Figure 1, embodies a marginal flange and has a hinge connection I3 between one of the side portions of its flange and the adjacent side wall of the housing inorder that it may be swung back and forth between open and closed positions. Suitable locking mechanism (not shown) is mounted on the door for the purpose of locking the door in its closed position. When the door is in its closed position access to the interior of the housing is prevented. Upon release of the looking mechanism and swinging of the door into its open position access may be had to the housing interior.

The frame 8 is mounted on the inside of the door I2 and serves as a supporting medium for the hopper 9 and the discharge chute I I). It consists of an outer pair of vertically extending parallel laterally spaced plates I4 and an inner pair of plates I5. The outer plates I4 extend at right angles to the door and embody along the bottom margins thereof out-turned flanges I6 which rest upon and are bolted or otherwise fixedly secured to an inwardly extending shelf I! on the lower portion of the door I2. The upper margins of the plates I4 are bent outwards in order to form horizontally extending flanges I8 at the top of the frame 8. The plates I5 extend vertically and are in latera ly spaced relation. They project at right angles to the door I2 and are located between the plates I4. Brackets I 9 extend between. and are secured to, the outer and inner plates I4 and I 5, as best shown in Figure 2 of the drawings,

and serve to support the plates I5 from the plates I4. The upper edges of the inner plates I5 are coplanar with the out-turned flanges I8 and the lower ends of such plates I5 terminate above the shelf I1, as shown in Figures 1 and 2.

The hopper 9 is located at the upper end of the frame 8 and includes a front wall and a rear wall 2|. These two walls extend between, and are suitably secured to, the upper ends of the inner plates I5 of the frame. The portions of the upper ends of the plates I5 that are between the front and rear walls 20 and 2I constitute the side walls of the hopper 9. The lower extremity of the rear wall 2| is bent inwards, as shown in Figure 3. The lower portion of the front wall 20 is bent rearwards and terminates above the forwardly bent lower extremity of the rear wall 2I. The hopper has an open bottom and is adapted to receive a charge of comestibles to be vended or dispensed from a box 22. The latter has an open top (not shown) and is held in an inverted position by way of a box-like holder 23 which normally rests upon the flanges I8 and has a hinge connectionwhereby it may be swung rearwards and downwards into a. box-receiving position. When the box and bolder are in their normal or operative position, i. e., the position shown in Figure 1, the comestibles in the box drop downwards into the hopper 9. The box and holder form the subject matter of an application for United States Letters Patent filed by us on April 23, 1941, Serial No. 389,852. Reference to this application may be hadfor a more detailed disclosure of the constructionand design of the box and holder.

The discharge chute I0 is located at the lower end of the frame 8. It is disposed directly beneath, but in spaced relation with, the hopper 9 andincludes a front wall 24 and a rear wall 25. The front wall extends between, and is suitably secured to, the lower ends of the inner plates I5 of the frame and the rear wall 25 is located behind the front wall and also extends between, and is secured to, the lower ends of the plates I5. The upper end of the rear wall is forwardly curved and is formed integrally with the forwardly extending lower. extremity of the, rear wall 2 I of the hopper 9. The lower end of the discharge chute I0 is open and communicates with the exterior of the housing 'I'by way of an opening 26 in the lower portion of the door I2. A forwardly and rearwardly tiltable trough 21 is located at the lower or discharge end of the chute I0 and fits within the opening 26, as shown in Figures 1 and 3. This trough is adapted, after discharge of the batch of comestibles through the discharge chute, to receive such batch and is further adapted to be tilted forwards into an open position in order that the person operating the machine may receive the batch. A knob 28 is secured to the front wall of the trough so that the trough may be tilted forwards and rearwards between its open and closed positions.

The coin controlled mechanism I I for delivering measured. batches of comestibles from the hopper 9 to the discharge chute includes a drum 29. The latter is cylindrical and has a pocket 30in the side thereof. It is located directly beneath the lower open end of the hopper 9 and over the upper open end of the discharge chute I0 and embodies a pair of end walls 3| and a substantially cylindrical side wall 32. The pocket 30 is defined by a wall 33 of U-shaped cross section and this wall is formed integrally with the side wall 32. The drum is supported for rotation about a horizontal axis by way of a pair of trunnions 34. These trunnions are secured 'to. the central portions of the end walls 3| of the drum and are journalled in'suitable bearingson the central portions of the inner .plates l5 of the frame 8. A rack 35 and a pinion 36 serve to rock the drum back and forth between a charging position wherein the pocket 30 faces upwards (see Figure 3) and a discharging position wherein the pocket faces downwards (see Figure 5). The'rack extends horizontally and is positioned between one of the inner plates l5 and the adjacent outer ,plate I4. It is mounted or arranged to slide horizontally and is urged inwards by way of a tension spring 31. The front end of the rack extends through a slot in the door l2 of the housing 1 and is provided with a knob or handle 38. The pinion 36 meshes with the rack and is connected to one of the trunnions 34 for rotatably supporting the drum. When the rack is pulled outwards it operates through the medium of the pinion to rotate the drum 180 from its aforementioned charging position wherein the pocket faces upwards to its discharging position wherein the pocket, as previously pointed out, faces downwards. When the rack is released after being shifted outwards the tension spring 31 serves to retract the rack to its normal starting position. During the in-stroke of the rack the drum is reversely rotated or-rocked back to its charging position. When the drum is in its charging position the comestibles pass from the hopper 9 into the pocket 30. As soon as the drum is rotated into its discharging position wherein the pocket faces downwards the comestibles in the pocket drop into the discharge chute I0 and then pass into the trough 21. A conventional or standard coin device including a coin slot 39 is associated with the rack and operates in response to insertion of a proper coin into the slot to release the rack so that it may be shifted outwards in connection with a vendign operation. Such device, as well understood in the art, permits but a single outstroke of the rack, after insertion of a proper coin into the slot and operates at the end of the retractile stroke of the rack to lock the rack against further outward shift except in connection with insertion of another coin of proper denomination in the slot. The rack and pinion are so arranged that in connection with outward pull of the rack the drum is caused to rotate clockwise, as viewed in Figure 3. In other words the drum is so rotated that the pocket is moved or rotated forwards and then downwards. The side wall 33 of the drum fits against the forwardly curved upper end of the rear wall 35 of the discharge chute and serves to close the lower open end of the hopper against downward feed of the comestibles when the drum is in its discharging position. When the drum is in its charging position, as shown in Figure 3, the comestibles in the hopper feed downwards until the pocket ,3!) is filled. As shown in Figures 3 to 6, inclusive, the lower end of the front wall 20 of the hopper 9 is disposed above the drum.

In addition to the housing the frame 8, the hopper 9, the discharge chute l0, and the mechanism I the machine comprises a rectilinear series of laterally spaced upstanding fingers 40. These fingers are preferably in the form of metallic stampings and are located adjacent the front portion of the drum 29 and between the lower end of the front wall 20 of the hopper 9 and the front wall 24 of the discharge chute ID. The lower ends of the fingers are pivotally supported by way of a horizontally extending shaft 4| so that the fingers are free to swing forwards and rearwards away from and toward the drum; The shaft 4| fits between theinner plates l5 of the frame 8 and extends through aligned holes 42 in the lower ends of the fingers. Screws 43 extend through holes in the plates i5 and into internally threaded sockets in the ends of the shaft and serve fixedly to secure the shaft in place. The rear lower portions of the fingers are provided with arcuate cutouts 44 and these are located adjacent, and are curved conformably to, the side wall 32 of the drum 29. The fingers are so positioned that there are but small spaces between them and extend throughout the full length of the shaft 4|. The upper ends of the fingers bridge the space between the upper portion of the drum and the lower edge of the front wall 2|! of the hopper 9 and prevent the comestibles from flowing forwards through such space regardless of the position of the drum 29. The upper extremities of the fingers are adapted to engage the lower end of the front wall 20 of the hopper and coact with such end to limit or restrict inward movement of the fingers. The fingers are urged rearwards in the direction of the drum by way of a series of upstanding wire-type springs 45. The central portions of these springs are looped around the shaft 4| and the lower ends of the springs are hooked around a horizontally extending rod 46. The latter is disposed directly .beneath the shaft 4| and extends between, and is secured to, the inner plates l5 of the frame 8. The upper ends of the springs are hooked around the central portions of the fingers 40 and are under such tension that they operate to urge or swing the fingers rearwards toward the drum. The fingers have a twofold purpose in that they serve first to prevent any shearing of the comestibles in connection with rocking of the drum from its charging position into its discharging position and, second, to permit of free rocking of the drum back and forth between its charging and discharging positions. When the drum is rocked or rotated from its charging position into its discharging position the various comestibles that are lodged against, and project above, the outer trailing edge of the pocket 30 in the drum 29 encounter the fingers 40 as shown in Figure 4 and instead of being sheared they urge the fingers forwards away from the drum and lodge between the fingers and the side wall 32 of the drum. When the drum is returned to its charging position from its discharging position any comestibles which are lodged between the drum side wall and the adjacent finger are snapped or moved into the pocket 3!! as soon as the pocket is rotated or rocked into registry with them. Inward movement of the lodged comestible into the pocket is due or attributable to the fact that the fingers 40 are urged inwards by the springs 45. The shaft 4| for supporting the fingers 40 is located directly beneath the front lower portion of the drum, as shown in the drawings. Due to the arrangement or position of the shaft and the fact that the arcuate cutouts 44 are curved conformably to the side wall 32 ofthe drumthe comestibles which are lodged between the fingers and the drum side wall do not turn or rotate with the drum. On the contrary they remain in their lodged position until the drum is reversely rotated into its charging position. At such time the fingers, due to the fact that they are urged inwards, snap the lodged comestibles into the pocket as soon as the pocket is brought into registry with such comestibles. The fingers 40 constitute the essence of the present invention and effectively and efficiently prevent any shearing of the comestibles even though the latter be of comparatively large size. They eliminate jamming of the drum when the latter is rocked from its charging position into its discharging position and constitute a resilient barrier which is encountered by the comestibles in the rear outer portion of the drum pocket when the drum is turned from its charging position into its discharging position.

When the machine is in condition for use the pocket equipped drum 29 is in its charging .position and the rack 35 is shifted inwards to its fullest. extent due to the action of the tension spring 37. When the drum is in its charging position the pocket receives a batch of comestibles from the hopper 9. When it is desired to use the machine a coin of proper denomination is inserted into the coin slot 38 in the door l2 of the housing 1. Insertion of the proper coin releases the coin controlled mechanism l I so that the user may pull outwards the rack 35 by grasping the knob 38. When the rack is urged or shifted outwards it operates through the medium of the pinion 36 to swing the drum through a 180 are from its charging position into its discharging position. As soon as the drum reaches its discharging position the batch of comestibles in the pocket 30 drops through the discharge chute l9 into the trough 21. As soon as the batch drops into the trough the trough is swung outwards so that it may be emptied by the user of the machine. As soon as the knob 38 is released the spring 3'! retracts the rack and the mechanism II is automatically locked until insertion of another coin of proper denomination into the coin slot 38. The retractile stroke of the rack results in the drum rocking or rotating back to its charging position wherein the pocket 30 is disposed beneath the lower open end of the hopper and receives another charge or batch of comestibles from the hopper. During swinging or rocking of the drum into its discharging position the various comestibles which are lodged against the trailing outer edge of the pocket come in contact with the fingers 40 and after swinging such fingers away from the drum they become lodged between the fingers and the cylindrical side wall 32 of the drum, as hereinebefore described. During return of the drum to its charging position any comestibles which are lodged between the drum side wall and the fingers are forced or snapped into the pocket as soon as the pocket registers with such comestibles.

The herein described vending machine effectively and emciently fulfills its intended purpose due to the action of the spring-pressed fingers 40. It consists of but a small number of parts and hence may be manufactured at a comparatively low and reasonable cost. Due to the provision of the fingers 49 the machine is capable of vending or dispensing large irregularly shaped comestibles, such as peanuts, pistachio or cashew nuts, without any likelihood whatsoever of the comestibles being sheared during rocking of the pocketequipped drum from its charging position into its discharging position. One feature of the improved vending machine resides in the fact that the unit comprising the frame I, the hopper 9, the chute lo, the pocket equipped drum 29 and the spring pressed fingers 40 is readily removable from its operative position adjacent the inner face of the door I2.

The invention is not to be understood as restricted to the details set forth since these may be modified within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a vending machine comprising an upstanding discharge chute and an open bottom hopper for the articles to be vended positioned above and in spaced relation with the upper end of the discharge chute, the combination of a horizontally disposed drum embodying a substantially cylindrical side wall with a pocket therein and mounted rotatably between the hopper and the chute to turn from a charging position wherein the pocket faces upwards and receives a batch of articles from the hopper to a discharging position wherein the pocket faces downwards and the batch drops into the chute and then back again, and a series of side by side upstanding laterally yieldable fingers positioned along one side of the drum and so that the pocket moves therepast during turning of the drum from its charging position to its discharging position, having the upper extremities thereof arranged to abut against a portion of the hopper and limit movement of the fingers towards the drum, and adapted during turning of the drum from its charging position to its said discharging position to be individually urged away from the drum by any protruding articles along the trailing edge of the pocket and to receive such articles between them and the side wall of the drum.

2. In a vending machine comprising an upstanding discharge chute and an open bottom hopper for the article to be vended positioned above and in spaced relation with the upper end of the discharge chute, the combination of a horizontally disposed drum embodying a substantially cylindrical side wall with a pocket therein and mounted rotatably between the hopper and the chute to turn from a charging position wherein the pocket faces upwards and receives a batch of articles from the hopper to a discharging position wherein the pocket faces downwards and the batch drops into the chute and then back again, a rectilinear series of spaced apart upstanding fingers positioned along one side of the drum and so that the pocket moves therepast during turning of the drum from its charging position to its discharging position and having the lower ends thereof pivoted so that they are free individually to swing to and from the drum, and spring means applied to the lower ends of the fingers for urging said fingers toward the drum, said fingers having the upper extremities thereof arranged to abut against a portion of the hopper and limit inward movement of the fingers toward the drum and being adapted during turning of the drum from its charging position to its said discharging position to be individually urged away from the drum by any protruding articles along the trailing edge of the pocket and to receive such articles between them and the side wall of the drum.

3. In a vending machine comprising an upstanding discharge chute and a hopper for the articles to be Vended positioned above and in spaced relation with the upper end of the discharge chute and having a bottom opening and a side opening in communication with the bottom opening, the combination of a horizontally disposed drum embodying a substantially cylindrical side wall with a pocket therein mounted rotatably between the hopper and the chute to rock back and forth between a charging position wherein the pocket faces upwards and receives a batch of articles from the hopper and a discharging posi tion wherein the pocket faces downwards and the batch drops into the chute, andarranged so that the pocket passes or traverses said side opening of the hopper during rocking of the drum from its charging position to its discharging position, a rectilinear series of side by side laterally spaced upstanding fingers positioned along one side of the drum and so thatthe pocket moves therepast during rocking of the drum between its charging and discharging positions and having the lower ends thereof pivoted so that they are free individually to swing to and from the drum, and individual springs applied to the lower ends of the fingers for urging the fingers toward the drum, said fingers having the upper ends thereof bridging the side opening of the hopper and arranged to abut against the portion of the hopper above said side opening and limit movement of the fingers towards the drum and being adapted during rocking of the drum from its charging position to its discharging position to be individually urged away from the drum by any protruding articles along the trailing edge of the pocket and to receive such articles between them and the side wall of the drum and being further adapted upon return of the drum to its charging position to move towards the drum in response to the action of the springs and force such articles into the pocket as soon as the pocket registers therewith.

4. A vending machine comprising a hopper adapted to be charged with articles to be vended and having a bottom opening and a side opening communicating with the bottom opening, coin controlled discharging mechanism including a horizontal drum embodying a substantially cy1indri-cal side wall with'a pocket therein, mounted rotatably directly beneath the hopper to rock back and forth between a charging position wherein the pocket faces upwards and receives a batch of articles from the hopper via said bottom opening and a discharging position wherein the pocket faces downwards and the batch drops therefrom and arranged so that the pocket passes or traverses said side opening of the hopper during rocking of the drum from its charging position to its discharging position, a rectilinear series of side by side upstanding fingers positioned along one side of the drum and so that the upper ends thereof bridge said side opening and having the lower ends thereof pivoted so that they are free individually to swing to and from the drum, and spring means for urging the fingers towards the drum, said fingers having the upper extremities thereof arranged to abut against the portion of the hopper above the side opening and limit movement of the fingers towards the drum and being adapted during rocking of the drum from its charging position to its discharging position to be urged away from the drum by any protruding articles along the trailing edge of the pocket and receive such articles between it and the side wall of the drum and being further adapted, upon return of the drum to its charging position to swing towards the drum in response to the action of said spring means and force such articles into the pocket as soon as the pocket registers therewith.

EDGAR H. SARGENT. ANASTASIUS G. ALEX. 

